Thursday, May 20, 2010

Super exciting news over here at the Iron City Upcyclery studio in Lawrenceville: we're at Pageboy now!

Pageboy Salon & Boutique, located at 3616 Butler St., is an awesome vintage clothing and independent designer clothing store run by talented friends Rachel Vallozzi and Dana Bannon. This store is seriously rad! In fact, it's my favorite place to shop for clothes in Pittsburgh, and I'll tell you why...

During my first year here in Pittsburgh, I admit to having felt displaced among the drastically different styles on the East Coast compared to those of my former home, Oregon. Yeah, it's true: I've been known to wistfully conjure up images of the free-spirited, colorful clothing found in thrift stores, vintage shops, and indie boutiques on the West Coast, and I never dreamed that I'd find that kind of vibe right here in Pittsburgh. Then I went to Pageboy. It's all there, like a rainbow oasis! Lovely dresses, bright colors, whimsical prints, bold designs... I'm so happy to see them right here in Lawrenceville now!

Read more about Rachel and Dana's entrepreneurial journey in this article by Pop City Media in Pittsburgh!

And yes, much to my delight, you can also find Iron City Upcyclery clothing at Pageboy. I think we make a great pair. Here's a picture of a current window display at Pageboy featuring one of my pieces, the Somebody to Love Dress!

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Biking weather is here! I've already taken my Black Beast on a ride up the Allegheny River this week. It was a great little trip, but I've realized that I'm definitely in the market for a new bicycle soon. Four years biking on the Beast is quite enough for this lady. Ah, but I do love biking. You make me feel so free. I fondly remember the free bicycle system in parts of Europe; in Amsterdam, I think I remember the free bikes being yellow. Apparently they're red in Rome.

This dress is inspired by such things. It's also inspired by Pittsburgh's very own bike recycling workshop, Free Ride.